Moment 168: STOP Doing THIS! It's Hurting Your Sleep!: The Fitness Scientist
Jun 28, 2024
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World-renowned human performance expert Kristen Holmes discusses the circadian rhythm and the importance of protecting your sleep. She explains how disrupting this rhythm can lead to health consequences like cancer and cardiovascular disease. Kristen highlights the impact of light exposure on our internal clocks and provides tips for optimizing light exposure for better sleep habits.
Disrupting the circadian rhythm can lead to serious health consequences, such as cancer and mental health issues.
Consistent sleep patterns are crucial for proper melatonin production and overall health maintenance.
Deep dives
Understanding Circadian Rhythm and Its Impact on Health
The circadian rhythm consists of physical, mental, and behavioral changes occurring in a 24-hour cycle, regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus. This master clock responds to light and darkness, signaling every cell in the body on what actions to take. Disrupting this rhythm by being awake during natural sleep times or vice versa can lead to significant health consequences, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic dysfunction, fertility issues, and mental health disorders.
Importance of Sleep Regularity and Melatonin Production
Sleep regularity, rather than just duration, plays a crucial role in overall health and mortality prediction. Disrupted sleep patterns suppress melatonin production, impacting the body's inflammatory responses and vulnerability to diseases and disorders. Stable sleep and wake times contribute to proper melatonin release, physical regeneration, and overall health maintenance, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.
Aligning Behaviors with Personal Values for Better Health Choices
Developing new habits should be linked to personal values to ensure alignment with one's beliefs and priorities. Understanding one's core values can help individuals make choices that resonate with their long-term goals and well-being. By identifying and prioritizing values, individuals can create a supportive environment that fosters positive habits and eliminates influences that hinder personal growth and health goals.
You might have heard the phrase ‘circadian rhythm’ a lot but never really understood what it meant. In this moment, world-renowned human performance expert, Kristen Holmes gives a simple break down of this rhythm and its massive impacts. Kirsten says that the circadian rhythm is basically physical, mental and behavioral changes that happen over a 24 hour cycle. All of these changes are controlled by a master clock in your brain regulating every cell in your body through chemical signals. Disrupting this rhythm can cause massive health consequence such as cancer, metabolic and cardiovascular disease, as well as mental health issues. The main cause of disruption is from light which confuses the brain’s master clock, this means that you often have to fight aspects of modern life and make sure you protect your sleep by controlling your home environment